


A Butterfly on Skin (Vergil Version)

by FlOrangey



Series: Eternity's Blue Butterfly [2]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Awkwardness, Friendship, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Tattoos, There's also some Nico & Nero friendship in there but this is more about the main tag, V is mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-01-25 17:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18578836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlOrangey/pseuds/FlOrangey
Summary: After the events of Red Grave City, Vergil is invited to Nero's home for an odd weekend to try and iron out the kinks in their relationship, which reminds Nico of an offhand promise they made when the man was...someone else.





	1. Friday

**Author's Note:**

> When your plans swim out of control for this series and your like _why this man so hard to write ;_;_
> 
> Also depression's a bitch and I'd love for it to leave me forever.

Something had to go right for a change. Nico found herself grumbling under her breath as she tried to figure out what was wrong with the 'van from hell' as she was beginning to call it. Nero’s prized possession had been showing its age for some time, but a few days after they drove back to Fortuna, the vehicle finally decided to give out on them. Nero, of course, blamed Nico’s horrifying driving. Which to be fair, she might have overdone it a little. Trying to get Nero and V from point A to point B required more than a little...'creativity'. But just because she flipped it over a few times did not mean it's current state was her fault.

...Probably.

Regardless of if she was to blame or Nero's van just happened to die at a bad time, it was her job to fix it. Several hours later she was slamming the hood shut in frustration.

“I swear to god, or whoever is floating up in those damn clouds, you are not worth all this trouble.” She muttered as she wiped some sweat off her brow, then took off her gloves. She climbed into the driver's seat, put her key into the ignition and turned it. For a split second the lights on the dashboard lit up and a huge smile crossed her face. Then everything went dead. “Dammit!” She slammed her fist on the wheel, almost jumping out of her seat when the horn went off. Well, at least one thing worked... Nico sighed and let her hand rest against the wheel.

“Nico, it’s almost time for dinner!” The woman in question was roused from her thoughts by Kyrie's voice. She climbed out of the driver's seat and walked around to see the smiling redhead, eyeing her then the vehicle. "Still hard at work?"

A smirk crossed Nico’s face as she put her hands on her hips. “Well one of us has to keep this shop running. And your boy doesn't seem to want to lend me a hand.”

“Well, dinner's almost ready. Why don't you get washed up? And...well...” Kyrie trailed off and looked back into the house before looking back at her, her voice a little quieter. “Can you help me with something?”

Nico stared at her. “What’s up?”

“It’s about tonight.” The moment Kyrie said that Nico had a feeling she knew where the conversation was headed, “I’ve noticed Nero’s been a bit...reluctant to talk about this whole thing with his father. I understand why he would but...I’m a bit worried.”

Nico sighed, “Yeah me too. Can't say I'm the biggest can of the guy either." She watched as Kyrie looked down and tried to put on a smile, "But I’m sure it’ll be fine. I mean one bite of your cooking and you’ll have the old man eating out of the palm of your hand. Uh, sort of.”

“I kinda hoped Dante would have been able to join us too. Maybe make things a little easier since he's his brother.” Dante had been invited but he refused, saying something about needing to attend a friends birthday party. No one was sure if he was telling the truth or not. Which was a shame because having Dante around would have certainly made what was going to be an extremely awkward weekend a bit easier on all of them. Especially Nero.

“So, what do you need me to do?” Nico asked.

“Keep the two from fighting?" She asked, "But also just be there to support Nero. I know this is difficult for him and I think it'd be good for him to know we're here to help him with all this."

“Kyrie you don’t need to ask me to watch Nero’s ass. Technically that’s your job.” The comment made Kyrie's cheeks flush pink and look away, playing with her fingers. “But seriously, Nero’s my friend. I give him shit, but I’d back him before anyone. And you know me, I call out bullshit when I see it.”

She knew Kyrie already knew this, but maybe she was just looking for some confirmation to ease her concerns. Either way, the young woman sighed in relief. “Thank you.” She said. “Now get yourself washed up, he’ll be here any moment.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

Nico waited for Kyrie to leave the garage and her grin faded as she sighed and shook her head. She had many opinions about how the weekend could go and her own experiences with a father abandoning her left her more than a little cynical about it. Then there was the elephant in the room. Or at least her elephant. She had seen Vergil one time, and that was when he and Dante returned from their two-week long vacation in hell. Just one look. They barely resembled each other but even before Nero could confirm it, she knew. She knew she had spoken to him before, but back then he was wearing a different face.

Nico climbed into the van and went over to her workstation. On it was her sketchbook where she kept not just her prototype designs for Nero’s devil breakers, but also sketches of various ideas she had for tattoos. Some were finished and she got inked on herself, others she barely started on. Some were in an odd in-between point where she thought the idea was genius at first, but the more she worked on it the more she realized it was a terrible idea and scrapped it.

Then there was one that she had completed. Fully sketched out and colored. A soft blue butterfly with a long tail that swirled in a way that it looked a bit like a trail of dust. It was fully complete and ready to go, and she knew exactly where she wanted it. Underneath her tattoo of the poem Eternity. It was believed William Blake wrote that poem after seeing a butterfly, something she never would have known were it not for a certain person telling her. And that person? She had no idea where he was, if he still existed, or even if he had existed in the first place.

“Goddammit V.” She closed the book and placed it back on the counter. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

She still had plans to get it done, maybe when she did not look at the image and feel an urge to smack a certain black haired man upside the head. She left her van and entered the house to hear roughhousing as Nero and Kyrie got the kids ready for their guest. She went upstairs, showered, and after contemplating her outfit of choice decided to go with the usual fair. She changed and came downstairs to see Nero with a serious look on his face, which would then turn to a smile as he and Kyrie’s foster kids asked him what was wrong. He told them nothing but then went back to pacing and Kyrie gave him a worried look as she set the table for six people instead of five.

“Who’s that for?” Julio asked. Kyrie smiled.

“We’re having a guest this weekend.” She told him and just as she did, there was a knock at the door. “That must be him. Nero?”

Nero looked at the door then took a deep breath and let it out. He took a few steps forward then immediately turned around and went back into the kitchen, shifting his weight on his feet and looking at them like a puppy dog in need of a hug. Kyrie was understanding and sympathetic “I’ll get it.” Nero gave her a small smile and mouthed a thank you as she left the kitchen. Nico watched her and then looked at Nero.

“Hey, you sure you’re gonna be okay with this?” She asked and waited for Nero to stop shuffling on his feet and speak.

“I don’t know.” Nero said, “I mean, I’m going to try. I know that’s what Dante would want, but…”

“But…?” Nico asked. Nero just shrugged and avoided her gaze, turning his attention to the other room when he heard Kyrie say _his_ name and welcome  _him_ inside. She even offered to take his coat and hang it up for him. Bless Kyrie's soul, Nico had a feeling Nero would be handling this a lot worse were it not for her. The two watched as Kyrie and their guest entered the main part of the house. Nico felt her shoulders tense up as she saw him. His expression was too serious for his own good and she had to wonder if he would rather be anywhere else.

“Kids, this is Vergil." Kyrie started, hoping to break the ice. "He’s Nero’s dad.”

The two stared at him, and the room was oddly silent, except for little Elisa whispering to Julio that she thought Nero did not have a dad. Nero took a breath and then walked up to him, trying to make some kind of eye contact before holding out his hand. “Glad you could make it.” He said. Vergil stared at the hand and Nero dropped it once it was clear he would not be taking it. He instead looked around the room.

“Your home is…” The man paused, his face unreadable as he looked around at the small kitchen and living area, and the stares that lead to the second floor. His eyes fell on the multiple individuals in the house. "It's...small."

“Y-yeah.” Nero said then tried to laugh, “But, it’s quite lively. Never a dull moment between the five of us.”

“I imagine not.”

Any warmth in the room was sucked out with just a simple comment. Kyrie, bless her soul, used the opportunity to speak up, her smile never leaving her face. “We’re very honored to have you for the weekend, Vergil. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.” The man looked at her, unsure how to respond to her demeanor, and gave a small nod. "Uh, Nero, why don’t you show Vergil to his room and show him the restroom so he can get cleaned up for dinner.”

“R-right. This way, Ver- uh…” Nico saw Nero hesitate and look at her before sighing and finishing, “This way.” He led the way and after watching him Vergil followed. It was as they went upstairs Kyrie dropped her smile and sighed.

They were both thinking the same thing. This weekend was going to be awkward at best and downright disastrous at worse.

* * *

Dinner was... tolerable?

It was not as lively as a usual dinner in the household of Nero and Kyrie. There was no yelling, the kids were being cooperative. Somehow that just made it worse as by this point Julio would be trying to scoop his vegetables out of his plate and onto with Elisa’s or Nico’s and Kyrie would be scolding him for it. This, in turn, would lead to him arguing and complaining, and then Elisa would try and put hers on his plate and then Nero would either try and get the two to settle down or he’d join in on the fun by taking his potatoes and sliding them onto the plate of his girlfriend. Instead, everyone was quiet and eating their respective meals (vegetables included) in silence. 

Far as Nico was aware no one had died, but the atmosphere made it feel like it had. Nero looked like he wanted to be anywhere else and she could not believe she was thinking this, but Nico wished someone would do something stupid so they could have an ice breaker. To her credit, Kyrie, attempted to make some conversation, asking him how his trip to Fortuna was and if he would need anything during his stay. Most of it fell flat with Vergil simply giving one-word answers. She got the most words out of him when she asked about his sword.

“I noticed you didn’t bring Yamato with you.” The statement got a grunt from Vergil and after some reluctance an explanation.

“Dante has forbidden me from carrying it unless it’s for a job. ...he had it sealed behind demon proof glass.” The words were filled with so much annoyance, Nero almost choked on his potatoes.

“Demon proof glass is a thing?” He asked. He got his answer in the form of a cold glare and a blunt:

“Yes.”

And just as it arrived, any hope of a conversation had gone right out the window. Nico found herself glowering at him. He had taken another bite of steak when he looked up and met her gaze with his. Silence followed, neither said anything to the other. Then Vergil finished chewing his meat and swallowed it, before looking back at his plate and continuing his meal. Nico resumed hers.

Finally, dinner was over and everyone seemed to be inwardly relieved when they could get out of their seats. Kyrie let the two kids go up to their rooms and continued to attempt to be hospitable to their guest. “Did you enjoy your meal, Vergil?” Kyrie asked as Nero got the dishes and made a beeline for the sink.

“It was...enjoyable.” He said. Nico could hear Nero’s sigh as he ran the water. She also saw Vergil look at him and awkwardly clear his throat. “Thank you for dinner, Kyrie. You did a good job.”

Nico rolled her eyes and finally spoke up. “Wow,” she said getting their attention, “I knew you were a bit of a stick in the mud, but that’s how you give a compliment? Put a little effort into it!”

“Nico!” Nero spoke up getting her attention.

“What? Just telling it how it is. You’d think after spending two weeks in the Underworld with his brother hacking out whatever bullshit's been going on between you two, he’d be better at delivering praise. ‘You did a good job’. You sound like a politician with a stick up his ass trying to make himself out to be bigger in the pants than he actually is.”

Her words were harsh and she knew it, but it was after she said them that she realized how bad they were. She saw Kyrie wince and could feel the kid's eyes on her from the stares. Nero looked both astonished and mortified by her outburst, unsure if he wanted to laugh or just run up to his room and cry a little. She sighed and shook her head. “I’m going to step outside and have a smoke break. Five minutes.”

She knew Nero liked to time her so when she said five minutes, she was expected to be back in five minutes, so without waiting for anyone to say anything she stepped out, leaned against the garage and pulled out her cigarette’s. She lit one and inhaled deeply, then let it that breath, the smoke dancing into the air. It was outside and away from her work in the garage that made her realize how warm it was. July was already on the horizon and she hadn’t even taken a single trip to the beach. She needed to fix that.

She was about to put her cigarette back in her mouth when she heard the front door open. “Hasn’t been five minutes Nero.” She looked over and stopped when she saw it was not Nero that had stepped out of the house, but instead his father. A frown crossed her face. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Does my presence upset you?” Vergil asked. Nico placed the cig to her mouth. “I’m pretty sure those things will kill you.”

“Everything kills everyone eventually, just a matter of how fast it does it,” Nico told him. She saw his eyebrow shoot up but his face stay as stiff as a board. She remembered another person who could keep a straight face like that and it just pissed her off. “What do you want?”

Finally, she saw it, the mask crack for a brief second as though realizing he made a mistake but had to much pride to swallow and own up to it. “I wanted to apologize. Though your outburst was…” he trailed off trying to find the right words, “unnecessary, you’re right, my statement was…”

Nico knew what he wanted to say before he even said it. “Half-assed.”

He let out a breath. “Yes. I’m sorry.”

“Did you tell that to Kyrie?”

“Yes. I told her she was a talented cook and my...son... was lucky to have her in his life.” He hesitated, then asked. “Those children, are they...”

“Foster kids they took in,” Nico told him and she was sure she saw some relief wash over Vergil’s otherwise stone cold face.

Nico dropped the cigarette on the ground and stomped it out with her boot. She then pulled the garage door up revealing the van that she was still attempting to repair. She might as well get some more work done. She approached the van and popped the hood back up then stopped and looked at Vergil, who was staring at the vehicle with a complex expression on his face. There was a slight bit of disgust, “Not your style.”

“It’s very antiquet.”

“You mean it’s a bucket of bolts." She said. Not that he was wrong.

“May I see inside?”

Nico had to admit, she had not actually expected him to ask, but she nodded and told him the door was unlocked. She supposed at that point she should have continued her work on the van, but instead found herself staring at nothing as she felt the weight shift a little. No doubt Vergil going inside. She looked down at the mess of an engine in front of her and sighed.

So this was how the weekend was going to be. Long and awkward. She had to admit there was a part of her who wanted to tell Nero she signed up to help him with demon slaying, not try and sort out some relationship with his deadbeat dad, but she already promised him and Kyrie she’d stick around for moral support. A small smile crossed her face, hard to believe after a year of staying in the small city of Fortuna she’d be considered family by the household.

She frowned as she felt a strange pit form in her stomach and closed the hood. She climbed into the van and froze when she saw Vergil near her counter. His hands were holding a certain sketchbook and seeing that Nico’s face turned red. “Hey! I never said you could touch my stuff asshole!”

Her voice startled him, but he tried to look as stoic as possible. He held the book out and she snatched it from his hands. She looked at the page he had been looking at and her anger subsided for a moment. The blue butterfly was staring back at her. The colors had a calming effect, that made her shoulder's sag.

“You never got it.” His words made her look at him.

“You remember.” Vergil’s eyes fell on the page, then back to her and she found herself watching him. “Or you don’t?”

The serious look on Vergil’s face was hard to read. Nico had to admit the one thing she liked about V was that when he had an expression on his face, someone could tell it was genuine. When he was happy, or upset, or remorseful it was plain as day. Vergil was like a stone statue trying to figure out how humans moved.

“It’s hazy…” Vergil started seeming to be trying to find a place to look that was anywhere but at her. He settled for the top of the refrigerator where Griffon used to perch himself. “My memories of when I was split in two are clear at some points, foggy in others. But this...I remember. This butterfly.”

“You remember how I came up with it?” She asked. Silence, “Do you remember why William Blake wrote the poem Eternity.”

More silence, and just as Nico was about to close her sketchbook he spoke. “Because it’s believed he was watching a butterfly. Yes. I...he…” He trailed off trying to find the right word, or pronoun, or whatever it was, “I told you that. Or a part of me did.”

She nodded and turned so her back was too him. _“She who binds himself a joy, Does the winged life destroy; But she who kisses the joy as it flies, Lives in Eternity’s sunrise.”_ She recited. “That poem was my mother’s favorite.”

“I know.” He froze at his own statement. Nico simply looked at him as he tried to get his thoughts in order, "You told me."

She nodded little, the words sounding oddly heavy in her throat. “Yeah. I did.”

Again his face was hard to read, but there was a glassiness to his eyes that made her wonder where his mind was wandering. She waited for him to come back to her before slamming the book shut and shaking him back to reality. “You should probably go.” She said. To her surprise, Vergil did not protest. He simply excused himself, leaving Nico alone to sit down on the van's couch. She sighed and leaned back.

 

She wasn't sure what this weekend was going to bring, but a part of her didn't want to find out.


	2. Saturday

If the weather reports as well as Nero reminding himself they needed an air conditioner were anything to go by, that Saturday was the warmest weather Fortuna had seen all year. It had the kids thinking about beach trips and ice cream, Nero agreeing while reminding himself to get the highest SPF possible so if they ever went he wouldn’t turn lobster red, and Kyrie contemplating getting a new bathing suit. Vergil had nothing to say on the subject and Nico noticed he seemed a bit put off by Kyrie’s asking if he’d like to go to the beach with them someday.

She wondered if he had ever gone to a beach. Or knew what ‘fun’ was.

Breakfast was a quick and after Nero and Kyrie set to work, cleaning the dishes and counter. “So, it’s beautiful out, what do you want to do today?” She asked. It was then their phone rang, getting their attention. Nero looked from it to her.

“Don’t answer.” He pleaded. Kyrie looked at him, then with an apologetic look answered the phone.

Next thing they knew, Kyrie was packing herself a lunch made from the previous night's leftovers. “You sure you have to today Kyrie?” Nero asked. Nico could not help but notice the young man’s eyes shift to Vergil, who was sitting on the couch watching, for a brief moment before looking back at her. Kyrie was smiling a small but apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry, but Sister Deliah called off sick someone needs to be at the orphanage to make sure the kids have someone to care for them.” She brought a hand to his cheek, “It’s only for a few hours. I promise I’ll be back in time for dinner.” She turned to Vergil, “I’m terribly sorry about this Vergil, I really hoped we’d be able to spend more time together this weekend.”

Vergil nodded, not quite sure what to say.

“If Kyrie’s leaving, I want Chinese!” Julio’s voice got their attention and Nico grinned putting a hand on the young teens head.

“I second that! Who else?”

No one answered, making the two pout and cross their arms. Nero let out a nervous chuckle and looked at Kyrie who shook her head. “I’ll be home at a decent hour to make dinner.” She said.

“What? No, Kyrie, this is six days at the orphanage, and you make dinner each night.” Nero told her, “We’ll figure something out, so don’t worry about cooking when you get home. Okay?”

The skepticism on Kyrie’s face was obvious, and Nico understood why. Nero was the worst cook in the household. Nico was a little better, but could only make the basics and nothing Kyrie could. The young woman knew this, but before she could say anything, Nero grabbed her lunch bag and walked with her to the door. Nico heard him tell her the usual fair, to have a good day with the kids, and to be careful on the way there and back. She saw him give her a hug, followed by a kiss on the cheek before saying goodbye.

Once she left, he came back to the main room and looked at everyone. First Nico, then the kids, then at Vergil, who had his hands folded and resting on his chin, looking back at Nero with contemplation. Again that uncomfortable silence. Nico smiled and clapped her hands together to break up the silence.

“Okay, it’s a warm day! Suns out and so far it doesn't look like it’ll rain!” She said, “Who wants to go to the park?”

The reaction was instantaneous. The two kids cried out in excitement ran passed the adults to grab their coats. Nero stumbled back by the sudden rush of energy but chuckled at their excitement. “Thank you.” He said to her. Nico shrugged.

“Don’t thank me yet. It’s just the two of you going.” His eyes widened. Vergil straightened.

“You aren't coming?”

“You kidding? If I had to choose between getting the house to myself or going to the park, I’m picking the house.” She continued to grin as Nero pouted. “Besides, I think I might have an idea of how to fix the van, so I’m gonna go down and get the parts I need and get to work on that. Wouldn’t be good if we got a job and didn’t have a way to get there.”

She wasn’t wrong and she knew she wasn’t wrong. Nero’s face went through a brief mix of emotions before settling on resigned acceptance before excusing himself to help Elisa put on her shoes. She then looked at Vergil. “You have a good time with them, got it?” And without waiting for an answer, she turned and made her way out the door.

* * *

Getting the parts was easy enough. Even if Fortuna’s only automotive shop was a few too many blocks down the street and through an alley a little too out of the way for one to easily find, Nico was able to get what she needed and get everything back to Nero’s house within an hour. She replaced the parts she knew were no good and checked to make sure everything was secure and connected properly before shutting the hood. She climbed back into the driver’s seat and turned the key.

She smiled as the engine roared to life. “Yes!” Then turned off the van and leaned back with a satisfied grin on her face. Now that was finished she paused and shifted uncomfortably, realizing her skin felt like it was covered in sweat and sand.

She shouldn’t have been surprised. The weather was warm, but she had not realized how much of a sweat she had worked up between her walk and fixing up the van. She got up from the driver’s seat and walked over to the van’s shower. She checked and once she confirmed there was plenty of water in the tank, undressed and turned the handle.

The water was perfect. She pulled a towel out of a nearby drawer and tossed her clothes into a corner. She stepped in, closing the curtain and sighed as she felt the cool water on her skin. She grabbed some soap and cleaned the sweat off her body, her thoughts wandering over to Nero and his outing to the park with the kids and his dad. How was that going? Were they talking or was it just quiet and uncomfortable? Maybe she should have gone instead, but thinking about her outburst last night, it was possible she could have made it worse.

She did not have a lot of patience for the type of father Vergil was. Her own father abandoned her and her mother and left them for dead. It didn’t help either that at one point she saw him as a friend. Or, another part of him. V was Vergil. Kind of. Nico shook her head. Half-demons were confusing and Nero was the only one that seemed to make any sense. And he still somehow regrew his entire arm!

Nico shook the thoughts from her mind and quickly washed her hair, massaging her scalp as she put shampoo into it. She rinsed it out and sighed, feeling a lot cleaner. She turned the water off and stepped out of the small shower. Then screamed, “What the hell?”

She found herself screaming at Vergil, who in a brief moment visibly lost his composure. His face turned red as his eyes rolled downward, then shot right back up to her face, before turning around so he could not see any of her. Nico grabbed her towel and wrapped herself in it. “What are you doing here? I thought you left with Nero!”

“I…” He trailed off. Nico quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped herself as she waited for Vergil to clear his throat. “I wanted to speak to you. I didn't mean to walk in on- you should have locked the door.”

Nico decided to try and ignore the urge to smack the older man over his head. She waited, then rolled her eyes, “Vergil, I’m decent enough. What is it?”

Some hesitation, but Vergil did turn around and Nico saw he was holding her sketchbook. “I wanted to ask if you wanted to get this.”

Nico looked down at the butterfly, floating on the paper, and then looked at him. “Why?”

“Because…” He took a deep breath and let it out, as though he was trying to make himself say what was on his mind. Nico could not help but find it odd that someone so serious would be so hesitant. “I promised I’d go with you. Or a part of me did. I’d like to fulfill that promise.”

Nico glanced back down at the sketch, at the beautiful blue butterfly that she wished to have placed under her favorite poem. She then looked back at Vergil. He looked sincere enough, but also like he wanted to be anywhere else. Probably because he was not used to interacting so casually with a person.

Or because she was still in nothing but a towel. His face was still red.

“Let me get dressed, we’ll leave in a little bit.”

Vergil nodded. He handed the book back to her, then made a hasty exit. Nico got dressed and made a few calls.

* * *

She had a feeling Vergil wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, even with her warning him a session could last a few hours. She drove down the road taking sharp turns down the tight roads that no city should possibly have, but Fortuna had been designed with cars as an afterthought. She took another turn and then slammed on the break at a poorly placed red light. Vergil lurched forward and groaned.

“You okay?”

“Nero warned me about your driving...” He said. Nico raised an eyebrow, unsure if she should have been concerned or amused at the sight, but once the light turned green slowly moved off the main street and into a parking area. Seeing his cue, Vergil stepped out to get some air. Nico climbed out as well, pulling her cigarettes out of her pocket and watched as the man leaned back against the van, then jumped up again, and gave the van a disgusted look. Apparently, it was too dirty for him. Nico looked at him as he sighed and dusted off his shirt, his face having an odd color to it.

“Think Nero got his stomach more from his mom than you.” She lit one of her cigarette’s which led to Vergil shuddering in disgust.

“I don’t understand how he can tolerate your smoking.”

“He got used to it.” She said, taking a long breath and turned her head to exhale the puff of smoke. One look at Vergil’s face made her mentally considering blowing the next puff in his face. No, not worth it. She promised she’d be on good behavior. “You should have gone to the park with Nero and the kids.”

Her statement was met with silence as Vergil avoided her gaze and tried to find something else to look at. “He said it was fine.”

“He said it, but you think he meant it?” She knew the answer to that question but watching Vergil, she wondered if he did. “I’m sure he’s thinking right now, that this whole weekend was a bad idea and that maybe you really don’t want to be around him after all.”

“And you think that why?”

“Because I’ve know Nero. I’ve been working with him seven days a week for over a year, and I’ll tell ya right now, when that boy isn’t worrying about keeping a roof over his and Kyrie’s heads, he’s thinking about the people he lost and the family he never had.” Nico told him, “He’s angry, angry that he never had a family, angry that Dante lied to him for years about knowing who his father was, and of course, angry at you.”

Nico wasn’t sure what to expect from Vergil after she spoke. She watched his face, how he looked angry at first, then just fell into a quiet bitterness. It became so quiet, Nico could hear the bugs that hang around a nearby dumpster, and the footsteps of people walking, pausing to watch, then move on, seemed louder than normal. Nico let out another breath, smoke dancing in the light wind. She took a few steps so that she was standing in front of him, close enough that he could not avoid her gaze.

“Why’d you do it?” She asked, her voice a little quieter. “Why’d you abandon him?”

The question was blunt, but despite wanting to sound colder and more demanding, she found she couldn’t. Instead, she just waited as the man’s shoulders rose with a deep breath and fell. She knew she had him on his toes, and he looked uncomfortable. Good. Even though Nero might not be the one to ask, she was not afraid of taking that question and throwing it in the man’s face.

“I didn’t know he existed.” His words hung in the air, but hearing them made Nico lose some of the tension in her body. She seemed calmer, a bit more patient. “My visit to Fortuna was brief. I was searching for information, and I thought the cult that worshipped my father would be the best place to find it. I met a woman who was willing to tell me everything I wanted to know, guide me to the power I was searching for… for a price. She didn’t want money.”

Nico stared at him, her eyes a little wide as she digested that information. “You exchanged knowledge for sex?” Vergil took a deep breath in and let it out.

“I wanted my father’s power. Some of the congregation were very… devout.” He stopped talking and sighed. “It sounds far worse when I say it out loud.”

Nico decided not to comment (or agree) and just let Vergil continue talking. “You know, when I first saw him, I thought Nero was Dante’s child.”

“Dante’s?!”

“He seemed to have everything. A family. Friends-”

“Crippling debt.”

“I pursued power and strength so I could never feel helpless again and it led to enslavement and almost destroying myself. It’s a wonder I’m here to have this conversation.” And just saying that his mood became more somber. “Feels like I shouldn’t.”

It was a rhetorical question, but hearing everything Vergil told her Nico found herself really looking at him. Before she saw a man that reminded her more of her father. Now he just looked exhausted from everything life had thrown at him.

“I remember V - or yourself - told me, the one thing he - er, you?” She groaned and shook her head, “He said what he wanted most was to be loved and protected. Sounds like you didn’t want to be hurt again and just lost your way.” Nico said. Vergil did not confirm her thoughts but did not deny them either. “You want to make things right. With your brother, with Nero. That’s why you came here in the first place.”

“...I get the feeling Nero doesn’t need a father like me in his life.” His words were cold, but there was a...vulnerability in them Nico had not expected from the man standing in front of her. She didn’t say anything right away, trying to come up with the best way to tell him what was on her mind.

“Look I”m gonna be honest with you. He probably doesn’t.” Seeing his face deflate she held up a hand, “Now let me finish before you decide to vanish on the guy or us. You’re right, he might not need a father, but that don’t mean he needs a friend or a brother. Sure he has me and Kyrie, but, we’re only human, there’s a lot of things we don’t understand. The guy regrew himself a goddamned arm for fuck’s sake.

He needs someone to talk about things only brothers can really talk about to each other. The stuff he can’t or won’t tell us. And I think a part of him wishes he could go to you for that.”

Something about her words seemed to click with him because she saw Vergil seriously considering them. Then a small smile crossed his face, “I think that's a role I can play.”

“That’s the spirit!” She matched his smile with a grin of her own “Alright, you feeling good to get back on the road?” He nodded and Nico let out a small laugh before giving him a playful punch in the shoulder. He winced as she went around to the driver's seat and rubbed the spot her fist made contact.

She was a lot stronger than she looked.

* * *

The interior of the tattoo parlor looked the opposite of Fortuna City, aesthetically it reminded Vergil a bit more of Red Grave or even the upper circles of hell. Yet despite his grievances, the place was far cleaner than expected. It smelled of disinfectant, and designs and artwork lined the wall in an organized manner. The only thing that he didn’t like was the music, but even then the volume was low enough he could easily ignore it. They were greeted by one of the artists who Vergil could not help but notice had more than a few tattoos on his arms. Nico spoke up to get his full attention, then showed him the sketch she had called ahead about. He nodded, giving her a quote and looked at Vergil.

“And you sir?” He asked. Vergil looked at the man and took a few steps back.

“I’m with her.” He said. The man looked him over, then looked at Nico. Then back at Vergil. Then shrugged.

“Alright. Come with me.”

He led them over to one of the chairs and Vergil watched as Nico lay down on it. The artist told Nico a few things, the usual fair the young woman knew from all the tattoos she had gotten in the past, as well as warning her the location she was asking for would be more painful than normal. Nico looked at calm as ever, though Vergil took a seat and watched with a serious look on his face. “Uh, sir, you okay?” The artist asked and Nico chuckled.

“He’s scared.” She teased. Vergil glared at her. The artist put on a pair of gloves and attached the tube with the needles to the tattoo machine. He made sure, one last time, Nico was ready and turned on the machine.

The moment the needles touched the skin, Nico winced and Vergil was on his feet. The man stopped, “sir?”

“Vergil, sit the hell down.” Nico hissed at him. “It’s fine seriously.” Vergil looked at her and sat back down. Nico could not help but notice he looked uncomfortable and chuckled. “Would you feel better if you held my hand?”

Her teasing was met with a glare, then Vergil took her hand. Nico gave the artist the okay to continue. Again Vergil saw her wince, but this time stayed in his seat. “I’m actually surprised this makes you nervous.”

“I don’t have any tattoos.” He confessed. Nico’s eyebrows shot up.

“Really now. Well, we should fix that someday.”

“I’d rather not,” Vergil leaned over to see the artists work and recoiled back at the sight of the needles. “Definitely not.”

Despite his statement, he found himself watching the artists work with fascination as the needles worked the ink under the thin layer of skin. The artist was careful and considerate, changing to fresh needles periodically and checking in with Nico to make sure she was alright. The woman was handling the process well.

Human’s were strange. Fragile in some ways, but resilient in others.

The tattoo was partially done when they decided to take a break for a few minutes. Nico let out a small sigh, her body relaxing against the recliner. “Are you feeling alright?” Vergil found himself asking before he could even stop himself. Nico chuckled and looked at him.

“You’re worried about me.” Another chuckle as Vergil frowned at her.

“I take back my question.”

“You can’t take back concern sugar.”

“Don’t call me that.” Despite his tone, Nico laughed, leading him to sigh. “Does it hurt?”

“Like hell. Getting a tat on your ribs is one of the worst places you could get one, but man is it gonna be worth it. Can already tell from here it’s gonna look great.”

When the break was over and the artist resumed, Vergil continued to watch as the artist added color and then shading to the tattoo. By the time the session was over, it was getting close to the evening. Vergil could see the sun beginning to set...which told him that it was likely Nero was going to be back home by now. He turned his attention back to Nico when the woman let go of his hand and got to her feet. She looked it over and nodded then looked at Vergil. “Looks good, doesn’t it.”

Vergil found himself studying the design and a small smile crossed his face. “I like it.”

A butterfly just below the poem that inspired it. A perfect ensemble, one he felt he had looked upon with a bit of excitement several weeks back. Seeming satisfied by his reaction, Nico paid the amount owed and the two walked out of the parlor. It was then that Nico’s phone began buzzing with life. She pulled it out and held it to her ear.

“Yeah?” She paused then a grin crossed her face, “Hey relax, calm your tits he’s with me.” She looked over at Vergil then looked back at the phone. “Take it easy. We’ll figure something out.”

“Is something wrong?” Vergil asked. Nico looked at him.

“Nero’s throwing a fit over what to do for dinner.” Nico looked back at the phone, “Yes you are throwing a fit. Just order out or something… well, pick one! I don’t care. Look one of the kids is gonna be unhappy. Just pick whatever you want or think Kyrie will like. It’s not that hard.”

Vergil waited for several seconds as Nico argued with Nero on the phone, then after some contemplation approached and held his hand out. “Give me.” He said. Nico stared at him. “Please?”

“My phone.”

“Fine.” He sighed, “Tell Nero I’ll cook dinner.”

Nico stared at him. The other end was dead before they both registered what he just said. “ _What?/_ You can cook?”

* * *

Nico could not help but notice how at home Vergil seemed to be while in the kitchen. He had asked her to the local grocer to grab a few things, and the moment they got home he set right too work. It wasn’t fancy, a simple Pepper Chicken Stir fry recipe that needed a mild bit of modification once he learned one of the kids in Nero and Kyrie’s care was allergic to fish, but he had more than enough food to make helpings for all of them. He started with the cutting up the chicken and looked up as he saw Nero staring at him.

“Did you need something?” He asked and Nero jumped a bit. Nico grinned as she watched.

“Oh uh… just didn’t expect you to be the chef type.” He said. Vergil scoffed.

“You think I subsidize myself on pizza like my brother?” He asked, “It’s a wonder that man’s diet hasn’t made his stay in hell more permanent. Well, don’t just stand there. Some assistance would be appreciated.”

“Uh… I can’t cook.”

The moment Nero uttered those words, Vergil put the knife he was using down and stared at him. Nico snorted and covered her mouth. “You can’t cook.” He repeated and Nero let out a nervous chuckle and shook his head. For a second Vergil looked like he was going to lecture him, then stopped and rescind himself as he grabbed Nero’s arm and dragged him over to the counter. He took a fresh set of knives out and placed the peppers in front of him. “Well, now you can learn.”

Nico laughed and shook her head. “This is beautiful. Perfect, father-son bonding.”

Vergil pointed the knife at her, “You’re helping too.” She jumped and was about to laugh him off, but saw how serious he was and decided that maybe chopping garlic would be better than facing Vergil’s wrath without anything to back her up.

The work the two did was minimal after they got their vegetables chopped up - Nero’s slices being uneven and him trying to brush it off as ‘giving the meal character’. Vergil just glared at him - Vergil more or less kicked the two of them out of the kitchen to finish up. Nero had the kids go upstairs to get cleaned up and ready for dinner, while he and Nico went about setting the table.

It was as Vergil was finishing up in the kitchen when the door opened. Nero rushed over to greet Kyrie, a grin on his face as he asked how her day was and listened as she went on about her day at the Orphanage. “And after lunch, we sat outside and I read some stories to the younger ones.” She could be heard telling him as they stepped into the main living area. Kyrie paused as the scent of the kitchen reached her nose, making her perk up. “Oh, that smells good. Did you get something Nero?”

“Uh…” Nero started then trailed off as Vergil placed the food on the table.

“His old man cooks,” Nico said. Kyrie’s eyes widened as she came over to the table.

“You can cook Mr. Vergil?”

He blinked. Was it really that surprising? Then again considering Nero’s skills as a chef… or lack of skill...and Dante’s diet… “Yes. Would you like to try some?” He asked. Kyrie nodded, her tongue lightly licking her lips as Vergil handed her a plate. She picked out some of the chicken and the vegetables and took a small bite. Then another one.

“This is delicious.” She said, “The chicken is cooked perfectly and the sauce isn’t too salty. Vegetables are a bit of an odd shape, but it kinda adds to the charm!” Nero sighed in relief, “Vergil you must give me this recipe. How long did this take to prepare?”

Vergil had not expected the questions, but regained his composure and gave her a small smile. “I’ll write down the recipe and the modifications I made to it.” He said. Kyrie was beaming at his answer.

The two kids came back downstairs and everyone took their seats around the table. It was still quiet at first until Julio started poking his vegetables. Kyrie told him to eat them, which he grumbled and eyeing younger Elisa’s plate. He then scooped some up and tried to put them on her plate, only to stop when he saw Vergil glaring at him. Julio put the veggies on his mouth and after cringing at the taste, relaxed, contemplated and decided that he liked them. The sight was a sight an inward sigh from both his caretakers and Kyrie turned her attention to their guest.

“This was a lovely surprise, Vergil. I didn’t know you could cook.” Kyrie said. Vergil looked at her, then took a bit of his meal, a hint of amusement on his face.

“Well, I get the feeling my family isn’t well known for its culinary skills.” He gave Nero a quick glance, whose face turned red and looked down at his food.

“Where’d you learn to cook?”

“Here and there.” In truth, Vergil did not have a concrete answer to the question. Most of it he learned on the road, and others were from being instructed during those few times he requested it. The answer made Kyrie blink, so he changed the topic and pointed to Nero. “He helped tonight, by the way.”

“Huh?” Nero stared at him caught off guard as Kyrie gasped in surprise.

“You did? Is that true Nero.”

“Uh, well I did cut some of the peppers but…”

Vergil watched as Kyrie just jumped from her seat and went over to give Nero a big hug, going on how happy she was he helped make dinner. Vergil glanced at Nico, who put a hand to her mouth to keep from laughing. Elisa made a face and protested that she did not like the vegetables.

Eventually, dinner wrapped up and Kyrie made them some herbal tea before going up to take a bath. That left Nero, Nico, and Vergil in the living room, the tv playing in the background. “Man, I don’t think I’ve seen Kyrie that happy in a long time.”

“Your face when she hugged you like that,” Nico said between chuckles. “Perfect.”

Nero’s cheeks turned red as he looked at Vergil, who was quietly sipping his tea. The young man watched, biting his lip a little as he tried to decide if he wanted to speak up or not. After a bit, he found his voice. “Hey uh. Da...uh…” He started then paused. Vergil looked at him and seeing his hesitation spoke.

“If you don’t feel comfortable saying it, Vergil is fine.”

Nero’s shoulders relaxed a little, “Thanks for cooking tonight Verg.” Vergil’s eyebrow twitched, but he did not protest the nickname. “You kinda saved my ass by making dinner. I didn’t want Kyrie to have to do anything after working today and - you noticed - I’m hopeless in the kitchen…”

“You are… and you’re welcome.” He said. Nero smiled a little and tapped his foot.

“So uh...it’s been a few decades since you’ve seen Fortuna. I know you’re heading out tomorrow, but you wanna take a walk in the morning before you leave? See some of the sights and all that?” The question hung in the air for a bit as Vergil thought it over, then nodded.

“I’d like that.” He said, “I’d like to see this orphanage Kyrie has spoken of. Along with anywhere else you enjoy spending your time.”

“Not a lot of places, but I can think of one or two,” He said, before taking another sip of his tea and turning his attention to Nico. “New ink?”

She looked down at it. “Yeah. Want one?”

“Hell no.”

“You suck.”

After a bit, Nero excused himself and went upstairs. Vergil let out a loud breath as Nico leaned back on the couch. “So, you enjoying yourself?” She asked.

“I can’t say I was sure what to expect.” He admitted as he looked down at his teacup to notice it was now empty. “But it’s...nice. Getting to know Nero...makes me wish I knew about him sooner.”

“Wondering about the ‘what good haves’? Don’t, it’ll drive you crazy.” Nico said. Vergil nodded in agreement, “But you two are trying, that’s more than I can say I expected. Baby steps, and, well maybe he’ll be able to call you dad one day.”

Vergil did not say anything to her statement but found himself nodding as she got up and held her hand out for his empty teacup. He gave it to her, and a small smirk crossed his face as he got a good look at her new tattoo. “It’s perfect on you.” He said and Nico looked back down at it and laughed.

“If I didn’t know better I’d say you were flirting with me.”

Vergil huffed, “I am not!”

“I know, it’s just a joke!” She pouted, then looked him over, “You know I could do a lot worse.”

“Is that so?”

A smirk on her face. “At your age? Silver hair, sharp features. Prime silver fox if I ever saw one.” Vergil brought his hand up to his head and massaged his temples, which only made her grin, “Hey you got an eyeful earlier, only fair I return the favor.”

Vergil got to his feet. “I’m going upstairs.”

Nico shrugged and stepped out of the way for him to go. Then went over to the kitchen and put the glasses in the sink. She shook her head. “Those two really are related.” She muttered and found herself more amused by it than anything. She then looked down at the butterfly resting on her and her thoughts drifted to a young man with familiar features and black hair that was in hindsight obviously died. Then back to the older, silver-haired man she had just teased a little.

“They really are one and the same…” She muttered to herself, a small smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing this because Nico and Vergil having a weird friendship gives me life, but I'm tired on top of other things so will do more cleanup later.

**Author's Note:**

> *screams*


End file.
